From Proto-Indo-European*lei-(“to bend”), from the stem *el-(“to bend”), whence also elkonis(“elbow”)); compare also laiva(“boat”), leja(“valley”). The original meaning was probably “bending, curvature.” A similar semantic development can be seen in Sanskritआणिः(āṇiḥ, “leg above knee”) (< *arṇí- < *elni-), Armenianոլոք(olokʿ, “shinbone”) (< *elok- / *olok-). Another suggestion has liels(“shin, calf (of leg)”) be the nominalized form of the adjective liels(“great, large, big”) with intonational change.[1]